Concord City Council to hold Main Street hearing

Residents can weigh in on Concord’s Main Street project tomorrow night.

They can also review a design presentation before tomorrow’s public hearing, said Deputy City Manager for Development Carlos Baia. It will be posted at concordmainstreetproject.com by 7 tonight.

The city council must finalize designs by mid-June to meet deadlines for the project, which is funded by a $4.71 million federal grant.

Designs for the project, formally called the Concord Complete Streets Project, include: reducing Main Street to two lanes with a crossable center median, widening sidewalks and adding landscaping, closing Phenix Avenue to create a pocket park and installing fountains on the State House plaza.

Councilors will begin making decisions and changes during work sessions next week, but tomorrow night the council will collect public input. A final public hearing and vote on the designs is scheduled for June 6.

Tomorrow’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the city council’s chambers at 37 Green St.

I really want Concord to be better in any sensible way that it can, but these proposals aren't in the least bit sensible. The gang that couldn't shoot straight - the same bunch who can't figure out how traffic signals are supposed to keep traffic flowing - want to turn downtown Concord into a "Stepford" village. It looks like every component of their plan is intended to make Concord prettier with no apparent thought toward practical consequences. Fountains on the state house plaza? Why not a geyser in Bicentennial Square? Or a narrow-gauge tourist railroad on Low Avenue?

ItsaRepublic wrote:

05/22/2013

I agree with the basis of your post. I just don't see where $4 to $5M is really necessary. The CAT proves that there is not a market to bring to people downtown and take them from downtown. Concord will NEVER be a "destination", it takes more than prettying up a place to make it a destination and revive it. This is more about egos of those planning this.

Waltham_Watch wrote:

05/22/2013

I hope they don't squash the idea of installing showers on the State House plaza.

BestPresidentReagan wrote:

05/22/2013

The difference between Republicans and democrats is that Republicans know the difference between a "need" and a "want"......do any of the readers know where the democrats plan to get the $8,000,000 for this useless beautification project

Waltham_Watch wrote:

05/23/2013

It looks like $4.71 million will come from people that have never been or will ever visit, Concord, NH. I think that's called Obuma money. The rest will probably come from property taxes.